


Pain

by kiyala



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-21
Updated: 2007-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-12 02:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ishida screws up. He's in pain, more than a little ashamed, and Ichigo won't leave him alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pain

**Author's Note:**

> Birthday fic for [**sublimeparadigm**](http://sublimeparadigm.livejournal.com/).

  
"Go home, Kurosaki." Ishida is tired and annoyed. Yet another failed attempt to prove himself to have equal or greater worth than the orange-haired Shinigami. Yet another plan gone horribly wrong. Yet another crack in his already-fragile mask of arrogance and pride. When he speaks, from his place on his sofa where he lies with an arm covering his eyes, he sounds nothing like normal. Or rather, he sounds nothing like he should sound when he speaks to Kurosaki. His voice should be cold and somewhat condescending – like it is at school. He now sounds quiet, pained and perhaps just a little upset. He has time to think about all of this, because Ichigo is not answering. But he isn't gone. Ishida can still feel his irritating presence, just outside his field of vision, had his glasses not been broken and his body still aching too much to prop himself up on his elbows.

So he repeats it, a little louder. "Go home, Kurosaki."

"Fuck off, I'm staying," comes the angry reply.

Ishida frowns from under his arm. What right does Kurosaki have to be angry? _He_ was the one who had failed. _He_ was the one who wouldn't be able to see things that were more than a meter away from his eyes until he managed to find the spare pair of glasses that were tucked away in some impossibly high and difficult to reach shelf in his closet. He would probably need to call Ryuuken for help to get them. And to add insult to injury, he had ended up being carried home by Kurosaki.

Said Shinigami circles around the sofa and stands beside him. Ishida remains lying still, not acknowledging the other's presence for now.

"Take off your shirt."

Ishida moves his arm out of the way of his eyes and glares as best as he can at the black-and-orange blur some distance away from him. He can somehow tell that the Shinigami has tensed and is scowling right back at him, but he doesn't look away.

"Let me check your injuries, you stubborn bastard. I've got this stuff from Sandal-Hat that heals wounds really fast."

"Like hell I'm letting you use your Shinigami shit on me."

"Shut the fuck up and listen to me," Ichigo growls. "Either you let me do this, or I'm slinging you over my fucking shoulder and carrying you to the clinic."

Ishida tries not to panic at the thought of Ichigo's father and inevitably, his own father finding out about this severe lapse in judgement. He sighs, and then hisses because breathing too deeply hurts his chest.

"Fine."

The orange blur that is Ichigo comes closer and becomes a little clearer. Ishida can vaguely make out the difference between the other's hair, face and the blood on both. He frowns and shuts his eyes as he feels Ichigo's fingers pulling the zipper of his shirt down. He tenses as the material of his shirt is slowly pulled away and when he hears Ichigo's sharp intake of breath, he opens his eyes immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Ichigo mutters, "It's nothing. Just a lot of blood, that's all. I don't think it's new blood. Might not even be yours."

"Of course not," Ishida replies dryly, "I just managed to get a lot of someone else's blood on my chest while wearing my shirt. Clearly."

"Shut up. I'm going to clean this wound and then put this medicine on. Then I'll bandage it up. Got it?"

"Whatever you say, Doctor."

Ichigo bites back his retort and picks up the mug of water and the cloth that he had brought from the bathroom, getting to work. Ishida hisses in pain and discomfort when he feels the damp cloth against his chest. Ichigo works slowly and steadily, cleaning the blood. There is a large cut down Ishida's chest, and although it is mostly closed up, it still hurts enough for Ishida to growl when the cloth comes too close.

"Shut up, Ishida. You wouldn't even have this if you weren't stupid enough to try and take on those Hollows at such close range. I thought you were the smart one."

Ishida doesn't reply, and remains silent as Ichigo continues cleaning away the blood.

"This is going to hurt." Ichigo murmurs, and Ishida can hear him unscrewing the lid of a bottle – probably the medicine from Urahara that he had mentioned.

And Ichigo was _not_ lying. Ishida clenches his teeth and shuts his eyes tightly to keep himself from making any sound. He feels Ichigo's fingers making a line from his shoulder down to just above his stomach and he frowns.

"How big is that cut?" he asks, and then wishes that he hadn't spoken at all because his voice sounds so shaky. Ichigo doesn't comment on it, and sighs quietly.

"Big enough. You'll have to be careful even after I use this medicine. Looks like any sudden movement could reopen it. I'm going to bandage your chest up, alright?"

Ishida doesn't reply and Ichigo finishes off with the medicine before touching the Quincy's shoulder.

"I need you to sit up. I'm going to help you up, got that?"

Shrugging Ichigo's hand off, Ishida scowls. "I'm not helpless, Kurosaki."

Ichigo's eyes widen, "I wasn't saying you were. I just don't want you to end up getting even more hurt while I'm trying to help—"

"I don't need you to play Hero with me," Ishida snaps, his arms hurting too much to move them to fold them across his chest. "So you happened to see me being an idiot and spill my blood over nothing. That doesn't mean that you have to hang around and rub it in! Just leave. Now."

Ichigo says nothing for a long time, and his hands move away from Ishida. The Quincy sighs, believing that he will leave.

"No. I'm not going anywhere. Sit up. I won't help you."

"You're really annoying. Do you know that?" Ishida growls.

"You too," Ichigo replies, his voice even. "I really want to bash your head in right now, but I'm trying to _fix_ these injuries of yours, and it'd be kind of counterproductive of me."

Ishida grumbles, but does not reply. He feels an extra weight on the other side of the sofa, telling him that Ichigo is sitting on the arm rest.

"Well? I'm going to bandage you up, so you should probably sit up before I drag you up."

"Don't become a doctor, ever," Ishida mutters, gripping tightly onto the cushions of the sofa as he tries to pull himself up. "No patient should ever have to deal with you."

"And don't _you_ ever get a job that requires you to go near people at all," Ichigo retorts, "Because they _won't_ be able to deal with it."

Ishida manages to get himself nearly all the way up before his arms give out. He lets out a surprised sound as he falls, but is caught by Ichigo.

"I can see you did a good job of that without my help," Ichigo mutters, helping Ishida sit up before letting go. "It wouldn't kill you to admit you need help, you know."

"And it wouldn't kill you to leave people alone."

"Shut up," Ichigo says absently, without any real feeling. He kneels on the floor in front of the sofa and picks up a roll of bandages. "Tell me if I do these too tight."

Ishida must admit, at least to himself, that Ichigo is good at what he does. Clearly, he has benefited from having a doctor as a father in ways that Ishida himself never has. The bandaging is quick, efficient and feels much more comfortable than anything that Ishida could manage in his current state. Sighing, he leans back against the sofa and shuts his eyes. He doesn't protest when he feels Ichigo sitting down beside him. They do not speak to each other for a long time, and Ichigo begins to notice that Ishida's breathing is no longer as shallow as it previously was.

"Does it hurt less, now?" he asks, turning to Ishida.

The other boy nods slowly. It is easier for him to move now, and the pain has subsided in general. He turns to where Ichigo is beside him, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ichigo murmurs, and before Ishida has time to completely understand what's happening, their lips are against each other.

Just as Ichigo is about to pull away, Ishida leans a little further forward and returns the kiss. Neither of them move, focusing entirely on the feel of each other's lips.

Then, Ishida pulls away. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I _think_ that I'm kissing you, Ishida," Ichigo replies, and pecks him again on the lips for good measure.

The Quincy holds onto Ichigo's shoulder, keeping him away. "…I'm a male. Which, incidentally, you are as well."

"Oh, really?" Ichigo asks sarcastically. "And here I thought you were a girl. My mistake."

The Shinigami moves a little closer again, and Ishida doesn't resist as he is kissed again. Ichigo's kisses are more demanding this time, even though he doesn't open his mouth. Ishida's sigh is muffled between their mouths, and he hopes that Ichigo hasn't heard it.

"Why are you still kissing me?" he whispers, this time turning his face away before Ichigo's lips can find his.

Ichigo kisses his cheek instead, and then presses his lips to Ishida's neck once before replying, "If you're so bothered by it, why are you kissing back?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Maybe I like you," Ichigo murmurs with a small grin.

"Maybe?"

"Can't think of why else I'd want to kiss you," Ichigo replies, his lips grazing over the skin near Ishida's mouth. "It doesn't really bother me if you're not a girl. I like you anyway."

"I can't think straight when you're doing that," Ishida whispers, seeking Ichigo's lips. "Kiss me again."

"Only if you admit that you like me," Ichigo replies, smirking.

"Fine," Ishida mutters, "I'll kiss you myself."

The Shinigami finds that he doesn't have the willpower to pull away when Ishida's lips are against his. The Quincy sucks on Ichigo's lower lip, and he groans loudly. Their tongues slide against each other as their kiss deepens and Ichigo finds that he has to pull away, settling for kissing Ishida's neck to keep himself in check.

A small smile spreads across Ishida's lips as he brings his hand up to stroke the orange hair that is tickling his chin. "I suppose I do like you."

"Enough to kiss me, at least."

"You _did_ say not to move around too much. So I guess kissing will do, for now."

"For now," Ichigo repeats, grinning. "I guess I'll have to come over and visit once your injuries have completely healed, then."

"Depends on how quickly this medicine works," the Quincy murmurs with an amused look. "I am feeling a lot better. You might not even have to leave."

Chuckling, Ichigo kisses him hard. "I think I like the sound of that."

  


x


End file.
